1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to tongue and groove style floor, wall and ceiling covering methods and, more specifically, to a covering system for cooperating units such as bricks, tiles, blocks or any other suitable application that may benefit from incorporating the combined elements of the present invention.
2 Description of the Prior Art
There are other interlocking covering systems known in the art. While these systems may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a covering system for floor, wall and ceiling coverings that locks the individual units to one another and seals the gaps therebetween.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a covering system for floor, wall and ceiling coverings wherein the covering material may be covering units of bricks, tiles, blocks or other like covering material, each covering unit having a continuous groove extending around the periphery thereof.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a covering system for floor, wall and ceiling coverings having a complement of locking keys (xe2x80x9cL-keysxe2x80x9d) that are of an appropriate thickness to slide into the groove of the covering unit and a width approximately twice the depth of said groove to form the connection between the adjacent covering units.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a covering system for floor, wall and ceiling coverings wherein the locking keys are coated with a sealing agent prior to placement within the covering units thereby forming a mechanical bond that hermetically seals the joint thereby negating the need for grout.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a covering system for floor, wall and ceiling coverings that is inexpensive to manufacture and operate.
One more object of the present invention is to provide a covering system for floor, wall and ceiling coverings that is simple and easy to use.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The covering units have a groove extending peripherally along the outer edges. Locking keys that conform substantially to the shape of the covering units and the thickness of the unit""s grooves are provided that are coated with a sealing agent and inserted into the grooves during installation to form a watertight seal thereby negating the need to grout to seal the mating areas where the adjacent interlocking members abut. An entire complement of components is included to allow the user to secure and seal the tile at wall edges, inside corners, outside corners, perpendicular tile joints and other such specialized situations that may arise. The present invention is faster and easier to install than other conventional floor, wall and ceiling coverings and may be put into service immediately upon completion as no curing time is required and grouting is unnecessary.
A surface covering system is provided, comprising: a plurality of substantially rectangular covering units, each covering unit having a top surface, a bottom surface, and four sides, the four sides comprising a first pair of opposing sides and a second pair of opposing sides, each of the four sides having a groove; and a plurality of L-keys, the L-keys having a first portion and a second portion joined to the first portion to form a substantially 90 degree angle, the first portion having an inner edge, and an outer edge, the second portion having an inner edge and an outer edge, the first portion length being substantially equal to the length of the covering unit first pair of sides, the second portion length being substantially equal to the length of the covering unit second pair of sides, the L-key first portion width being approximately twice the width of the covering unit grooves, the L-key second portion width being approximately twice the width of the covering unit groove, the L-key first and second portion inner and outer edges being insertable in the covering unit grooves.
There is provided a surface covering system, comprising: a plurality of substantially rectangular covering units, each covering unit having a top surface, a bottom surface, and four sides, the four sides comprising a first pair of opposing sides and a second pair of opposing sides, each of the four sides having a groove; a plurality of L-keys, the L-keys having a first portion and a second portion joined to the first portion to form a substantially 90 degree angle, the first portion having an inner edge, and an outer edge, the second portion having an inner edge and an outer edge, the first portion length being substantially equal to the length of the covering unit first pair of sides, the second portion length being substantially equal to the length of the covering unit second pair of sides, the L-key first portion width being approximately twice the width of the covering unit grooves, the L-key second portion width being approximately twice the width of the covering unit groove, the L-key first and second portion inner and outer edges being insertable in the covering unit grooves; a plurality of elongated I-strips, the I-strips having a first and second edge the first and second edges being insertable in the covering unit grooves, the I-strips having a width approximately twice the width of the covering unit grooves; a plurality of elongated half strips, the half strips having a first and second edge, the first and second edges being insertable in the covering unit grooves, the half strips having a width approximately equal to the width of the covering unit grooves; a side strip, the side strip having a vertical portion joined with a horizontal portion, the vertical portion having an edge and the horizontal portion having an edge, said edges being insertable into the covering unit grooves; an inside comer strip wherein the side strip is angled to form a corner, the horizontal portion edge being within the corner; an outside corner strip wherein the side strip is angled to form a corner, the horizontal portion edge 84 being outside the corner; a spacer side strip, the spacer side strip having a vertical portion joined with a horizontal portion and a spacer portion, the spacer portion being proximate the exterior vertex of the angle formed by the joinder of the vertical portion to the horizontal portion, the vertical portion having an edge and the horizontal portion having an edge, said edges being insertable into the covering unit grooves, the spacer portion having a bottom surface and a rear surface, the spacer portion extending beneath the horizontal portion such that when the horizontal portion edge is inserted within the groove of one of the covering units, the covering unit bottom surface is substantially flush with the spacer portion bottom surface, the spacer portion extending rearwardly from the vertical portion such that when the vertical portion edge is inserted into a second one of the covering units, the second covering unit""s bottom surface is substantially flush with the spacer portion rear surface, and the second covering unit""s side of insertion abuts the top surface of the first covering unit; a spacer inside corner strip wherein the spacer side strip is angled to form a corner, the horizontal portion edge being within the corner; a spacer outside corner strip wherein the spacer side strip is angled to form a corner, the horizontal portion edge being outside the corner; a double spacer side strip, the double spacer side strip having a vertical portion joined with a horizontal portion, a first spacer portion, and a second spacer portion, the first spacer portion being proximate the exterior vertex of the angle formed by the joinder of the vertical portion to the horizontal portion, the second spacer portion being proximate the interior vertex of said angle, the vertical portion having an edge and the horizontal portion having an edge, said edges being insertable into the covering unit grooves, the first spacer portion having a bottom surface and a rear surface, the second spacer portion having a top surface and a forward surface, the first spacer portion extending beneath the horizontal portion such that when the horizontal portion edge is inserted within the groove of one of the covering units, the covering unit bottom surface is substantially flush with the first spacer portion bottom surface and the covering unit top surface is substantially flush with the second spacer portion top surface, the first spacer portion extending rearwardly from the vertical portion such that when the vertical portion edge is inserted into a second one of the covering units, the second covering unit""s bottom surface is substantially flush with the first spacer portion rear surface and the second covering unit""s top surface is substantially flush with the second spacer portion forward surface; a double spacer inside corner strip wherein the side strip is angled to form a corner, the horizontal portion edge being within the corner; and a double spacer outside corner strip wherein the side strip is angled to form a corner, the horizontal portion edge being outside the corner.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.